School Changes Silent Night Lyrics... my town

[momofmikey]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/12...moves-religious-references-from-silent-night/

This story has apparently been reported all over the world.

KINGS PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – The song“Silent Night” is at the heart of a concert controversy on Long Island.

Officials at Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School removed several religious references, including “holy infant” and “Christ the savior,” from the popular Christmas carol before a concert featuring fifth-graders last week, WCBS 880′s Mike Xirinachs reported.
The intent was to avoid offending non-Christians, but the change left others upset.

“Any reference to what the song was about — the birth of Christ, ’round young virgin mother and child’ — all of those things were omitted from the version that the children sang beautifully,” said Jackie McDonald, a mother who walked out of the performance.

“To choose to sing ‘Silent Night’ and eviscerate the meaning of the song was not appropriate,” McDonald told CBS 2′s Carolyn Gusoff.
Some parents said the school should have chosen a different song.
“It’s offensive,” one father told Gusoff. “If you’re going to remove words to not offend other religions, what about the religion that that song belongs to, which is Christianity?”

The chorus performance also included a song in Hebrew, but it wasn’t a religious song.

Kings Park’s school superintendent and the principal of the Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School have since apologized. They admit it was a mistake to edit the song and promised it won’t happen again, Xirinachs reported.

 

[luvsJack]

I would have walked out too.

Thank goodness our talented school choir is still allowed to sing traditional Christmas songs at the CHRISTMAS concert. Oh Holy Night, Shepherd's Carol, Noel, We Three Kings were all sang. I am guessing if anyone told the director to change it, he wouldn't have a concert and the students would be in agreement.

 

[DisneyDreamer2504]

I would have walked out too. Thank goodness our talented school choir is still allowed to sing traditional Christmas songs at the CHRISTMAS concert. Oh Holy Night, Shepherd's Carol, Noel, We Three Kings were all sang. I am guessing if anyone told the director to change it, he wouldn't have a concert and the students would be in agreement.

It's funny bc my first questions was whether or not it was a Christmas concert. If they did, in fact, refer to it as the Christmas concert then it would be ridiculous to say that but change lyrics. I think changing he lyrics was silly and agree they should have chose a different song. I went to public school, where we called it the Holiday concert and sang nothing remotely religious.

 

[low-key]

if the song offends you that much, just dont sing it

 

[sonnyjane]

If you have to change so many of the lyrics, why the heck would you select that song?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

What a weird story. Just don't sing a religious song if you don't want to. There are plenty of holiday songs that don't invoke a particular faith.

 

[luvsJack]

It's funny bc my first questions was whether or not it was a Christmas concert. If they did, in fact, refer to it as the Christmas concert then it would be ridiculous to say that but change lyrics. I think changing he lyrics was silly and agree they should have chose a different song. I went to public school, where we called it the Holiday concert and sang nothing remotely religious.

Didn't think about that. We do "Christmas" concerts, not "holiday". But the university calls their's "Holiday" Still had all (well except one song) traditional Christmas songs.

 

[lauradis]

More pc bs

 

[jdb in AZ]

Our local high school A cappella choir traditionally sings "Mary's Lullaby" at the end of their annual Christmas concert. Any alumni choir members in the audience are invited to join in singing that song, and the choir encircles the audience for the traditional performance. The school board considered banning the song because it's religious, so our very religious friend John (alum and father of alum choir members) called his atheist friends who are also choir alum, and they testified at the school board hearing. The atheist friends said that if you take all religion out of music you wouldn't have much music remaining. The school board backed off.

 

[Liberty Belle]

That was so silly! I appreciate the thought and sentiment, but if they didn't want to sing a Christian song, there were plenty of other songs they could have sung. Just kind of dumb, really.

 

[Disneyland1084]

I'm so sick of this political correctness ********. If that song is going to offend anyone, then they can walk out when it's being performed.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Shame on them..,my kids went to RJO a LONG time ago ( was an elementary school then ) Back then the community took out the creche that was in the center of town by the fire department after an uproar it was put back

This was also the school that decided my eldest daughter needed " special ed" classes because they were profiling a single parent household child must have " special needs" I flew up there like a lunatic The child was in 1st grade & was at a 4th grade reading level Don't label my kid to get $$ from the government for your school district Happened to plenty of us living in apartments right across from the school at the time



What's up with Kings Park ? The lunacy continues

 

[superme80]

Why would they even pick that song to sing? It is a Christian song. Strange.

 

[NMAmy]

It's silly. As others have said, if you want to avoid the mention of religion, there are plenty of other secular songs. I do think walking out of a performance by fifth grade children in protest is a crappy thing to do. They had no control over what they sang.

As an atheist, I got pretty ticked off at Cee Lo for changing the words and the intention of "Imagine" to better reflect his religious views, as well.

 

[Little Flower]

I really don't understand why they feel the need to change the lyrics to these carols, whether it be to try not to offend other religions or just to modernise. I have a very hard to believe that anyone would be offended by the words from a song that is hundreds of years old. I personally am offended by the fact that these songs are changed.

My choir recent ran through the carols we were going to be singing this Christmas season and used the "modern" hymn books that are kept in the chapel that hosts our rehearsals. I was appalled to see that the words of the carols had been modernised, all old wording was removed! Noel was spelt NOWELL!!!!!! I find this just as offensive as removing the religious references! Grr! Sorry for the off topic but this has just really bothered me

 

[Disney Doll]

You know I am a supporter of everyone's rights etc.

But every time something is done to something religious in the name of "not offending" anyone, do they not realize that they are offending folks who believe in that religion??

Why is it OK to offend religious folks??? But it's not OK to offend non-religious folks?

 

[lizabu]

It was stupid to choose that song in the first place. There are plenty of other songs out there. Our school is very PC and they have a Holiday concert. They sing Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman and other songs that don't mention religion. You can't change a church hymn and not offend people.

 

[marcyinPA]

This type of thing totally annoys me. You can't just change the lyrics of classic songs to fit your needs. Grrrr.

We live in a pretty liberal medium sized city and my son's high school is a large, diverse inner city school. Still, they sang a variety of songs at the "winter" concert, including the Hallelujah Chorus, which has traditionally been the last song of the concert for many, many years. The alumni are always invited on stage to participate in that one. As far as I know, nobody has ever dared to complain.

If you aren't a Christian, why can't you just enjoy the music for its beauty? I really don't understand why people are offended. I don't take offense to songs about Hanukkah because I'm not Jewish?! Or Frosty the Snowman because it is secular?! People need to get over themselves.

 

[powellrj]

When will all of this end? Every year it seems to get crazier and crazier.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

This type of thing totally annoys me. You can't just change the lyrics of classic songs to fit your needs. Grrrr.

We live in a pretty liberal medium sized city and my son's high school is a large, diverse inner city school. Still, they sang a variety of songs at the "winter" concert, including the Hallelujah Chorus, which has traditionally been the last song of the concert for many, many years. The alumni are always invited on stage to participate in that one. As far as I know, nobody has ever dared to complain.

If you aren't a Christian, why can't you just enjoy the music for its beauty? I really don't understand why people are offended. I don't take offense to songs about Hanukkah because I'm not Jewish?! Or Frosty the Snowman because it is secular?! People need to get over themselves.

I agree with you. Some of the most beautiful music in the world is religious music, and my children's education would be lacking if they were never exposed to it. A public school should not be proselytizing or teaching religion per se, but to honor all of our cultures and beliefs is not inappropriate.

My daughter's high school also sang the Hallelujah chorus at a concert one year, and it was beautiful. They also offered us selections in Hebrew and a song for Kwanzaa. Also beautiful.

I know what the folks in Kings Park were trying to do. Epic fail.